At Antioch we list holiness as one of our core values. My prayer (which, admittedly, I don't pray consistently enough) is that the men of Antioch be marked by holiness, being set apart from the world.
What that means practically is an all-consuming love for JESUS that teaches "us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age ..." (Titus 2:12).
So the germane questions are:
- What does it mean to practically deny ungodliness?
- What does it mean to deny worldly lusts?
- What does it mean to live soberly?
- What does it mean to live righteously?
- What does it mean to live godly?
I believe the Spirit provides those answers as we walk with Him and listen to His voice and as we submit to biblical doctrine expounded by those He's placed as our elders, pastors, and mentors.
I'm moved by Jimmy's constant emphasis on John 15, with the exhortation being that if we abide in Christ, and His word abides in us, we will consistently walk out His will for our day-to-day lives.
The epistles, I would add, are often didactic in nature. "Live life this way," Paul often says (though not exactly in those words). For example:
But as for you, speak the things that are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things -- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility ... (Titus 2:1-7
Those are specific examples of specific character traits that Paul wanted Titus to continually teach. I pray we at Antioch hear Paul's exhortation well, that we may all walk in the fullness of His word.
